So this is Christmas

Well, we had our "traditional" Christmas.

And it was terrific, to be sure.

John and I got up and had our morning beverage (he has tea; I have coffee) while we opened our goodies from Santa and exchanged our gifts from each other (it gets confusing which is from whom in all the chaos).

I had quite a haul; John not quite so much.

That is not at all indicative of our behaviour throughout the year.

It is indicative of our personalities.

As we approach Christmas, I take John shopping and point out stuff that I "need" which he dutifully purchases, takes home, wraps and puts under our "tree."

On Christmas morning, I get to open lots of presents just like when I was a little girl.

Silly, I know.  But it's fun.

Much like the way I still fill our Christmas stockings.

From Santa.

When I was a child, I used to fill a stocking "from Santa" for my mother because I felt bad that she never seemed to have anything on Christmas morning.  It became a "tradition" and was something I continued doing into my adult years.

I guess old habits die hard.

My "real" presents from John (and/or Santa -- not sure, see explanation above) included a renewal of my subscription to Ancestry.ca (gotta get back to my family tree research!); two pair of gorgeous earrings  (he always buys me the most beautiful bobbles for my ears!); and the new coffee maker I've been wanting (had to have a thermal carafe - read further for explanation).

Once we finished opening gifts, we had to cool our heels until it was an appropriate hour to go into Ottawa for our traditional breakfast with my little chickadee.  We started doing this several years ago -- none of us is quite sure exactly which year was the first.

Every Christmas since I've been with John, I've had to "be with my little chickadee" on Christmas morning.  I recall trying NOT to be with her and it just didn't work.  So we've never NOT been with her at some point during the day on Christmas day.

Once my beautiful boy came into the picture, it became even more important to me that I have a presence there on Christmas morning.  But I didn't really want to interfere with their own family Christmas morning so asked that I be allowed to join them and I would make breakfast for everyone.  That worked for the first year after which it became an invitation from my little chickadee to join them for Christmas breakfast and it has evolved into a most pleasant tradition of our going there for a spread of fresh waffles with hot blueberry and/or caramel topping and whipped cream, bacon, sausauges, coffee, juice, and champagne.  It is delectable and has become an event to which all of us looks forward, even my beautiful boy!

This year, that very patient, wonderful beautiful boy of mine waited until we arrived, and then waited further until after breakfast, before openin his gifts.  He had opened "only one present from Santa" before we got there.  Can you imagine an eight-year-old child who has been jumping out of his skin with excitement waiting for this day agreeing to delay the opening of his presents because his Grandparents "would really like to be there to see him open his gifts?"

I couldn't believe it when my little chickadee told me that she had managed to stall him!  He is unbelieveable!!

He was finally getting a gift that he had been asking for for the past two years: a Nintendo DSi (every kid needs one, don't you know?).  The kid had been salivating about this for months!  And for weeks he had been making comments like, "I just know I'm not going to get what I'm asking for."

But this year, Christmas 2009, his parents had decided he deserved to finally get what he'd asked for -- but it was a gift from his parents -- Santa wasn't getting credit for this one, no way!

And the gifts from us, from his other grandfather, and another close family friend were all games to be played on the DSi.  So he was going to be one very happy little boy.

Now, this little guy is very much his mother's son.

Try as we might, we cannot get this child to show his emotions in front of other people (he is very demonstrative in front of his parents and me -- but that's about it).  Somehow, this child can totally contain his reactions when other people are around.  His mother was (is) exactly the same way (as is, I guess, his grandmother -- at least she used to be very good at it).

Anyway, with his father poised at one end and Grandpa John at another, each armed and ready with cameras as the child was opening the "special" gift, you'd think that one of them might have captured the magical moment when he realized what was in it.

This shot was taken as he was saying, "ah thank you" and he was instinctively leaping up to offer each parent a huge hug.  He stopped mid-way, saying "oh, let me turn it on," -- his excuse to not show too much affection and emotion perhaps because both his Grandpa John and that close family friend were sitting in view.  His parents got the hugs anyway -- several of them, along with lots of thank you's and "I can't wait to tell ...".

And then as he opened the games that are peripheral to the DSi unit, he immediately came to each of us in turn and thanked us (and wow what a long, tight hug I got for this one -- it was fabulous!).

We didn't see or hear much from that boy after that -- he was way too busy playing with his DSi (please don't make the mistake of suggesting that he got the DS -- it is a DSi don't you know?).

Normally, John and I don't stick around at my little chickadee's place too late in the day on Christmas Day because she usually goes to her in-laws for Christmas dinner, which they were doing this year as well.  But also this year, my favourit niece who lives in Belleville was visiting her siblings.  She had made arrangements to stop in at my little chickadee's place while I was there so that I could meet her daughter who is now three years old and whom I had yet to meet.

I was delighted to be able to hang around and visit with them. 

On the way home, we figured out a way to cook our own version of Christmas dinner and came home and did exactly that.  We had a chicken breast in the refrigerator that needed to be cooked, so I whipped up a small batch of stuffing, popped the chicken breast on top and threw it in the oven to bake while we prepared some mashed potatoes and a pot of mashed turnip/carrot combo.  And by 6:00pm we were sitting down to a pared-down version of Christmas dinner.  But Christmas dinner it was.

I spent yesterday baking more shortbread (the earlier batch didn't quite make it) and preparing stuff for today's gathering.  Everything is pretty well ready to just put out at the appropriate time.

We'll get breakfast behind us and then I'll set up the table and put out the munchies -- we're expecting everyone to arrive by noon so I have to hit the shower by 10:30am to ensure that I'm finished "getting beautiful" on time (don't want to be in the shower when the first crew arrives).

We're really looking forward to seeing the family today.  It's not too often that we manage to get everyone together.  Unfortunately this year, we'll be without our eldest granddaughter because she has to work.  It's becoming more and more difficult to find dates that work for everyone so we have to pick dates that work for most.

Anyway, tempus fugit again.  Gotta run.